Professors, faculty and staff members at the University of Connecticut (UConn) are pushing for an expanded policy on paid leave. At a recent news conference held at UConn’s Storrs campus, representatives of the UConn-American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Contract Action Team, including the UConn-AAUP President Chris Vials, expressed dissatisfaction over the current benefits. They argued that the existing policies were inadequate and negatively impacted the employees.

The advocates want the university administration to guarantee 16 weeks of paid parental leave for all employees. They seek to modify the current rules, which offer only six to eight weeks of maternity leave for birth mothers, often placing non-birthing parents and caregivers at a disadvantage. The staff members want the administration to negotiate and collaborate with them to establish a more equitable leave policy.

Members of the faculty shared personal experiences highlighting the issues with the current paid parental leave policy. Some concerns included the impact on research, student education, and personal wellbeing.

According to their claims, UConn has the authority to make these changes since Connecticut state law offers paid family and medical leave benefits. Despite the Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave Act of 2019, which provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave, the faculty members claim that UConn has not fully integrated this benefit into its current employment policies.

While the university in a statement expressed commitment to its staff, the advocates say they will continue to pressurize the administration until a more comprehensive paid leave policy is instituted. The news conference featured speeches from various faculty members and elected officials, including state Sen. Mae Flexer. The event was also streamed live on AFT Connecticut’s Facebook page.

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